THOUSANDS of people in Wirral are to have a new landlord by the end of the month.

More than 15,000 local authority homes will be handed to a new organisation after councillors rubber stamped the move last night.

Tenants had voted overwhelmingly to transfer their houses to Wirral Partnership Homes - a non-profit making organisation which promises to invest £172m over the next seven years.

A total of £400m is to be invested in the next 30 years, and Wirral Partnership Homes says it plans "to create a new era" of affordable housing for all its tenants.

Executive member for housing Cllr George Davies said: "This is a real step forward and means better housing for tenants.

"The council could not afford to maintain its stock and this transfer will safeguard the future.

"It will mean improvements to all houses within the next couple of years, including central heating for those who don't have it." The official handover is due to take place next Monday.

The investment from Wirral Partnership Homes will pay for uPVC double glazed windows in 11,000 former council houses, as well as 9,000 new kitchens and bathrooms.

A further 3,000 homes will have new central heating systems and £10m is to be spent on environ-mental works including fencing paths, gates and boundary walls.

Cllr Davies said the authority had followed strict guidelines in moving towards transferring the housing stock to the new organisation.

He said: "This move will only mean improvements for our tenants."

More than three quarters of the 10,000 tenants who took part in the ballot backed the scheme last year, with a 77% vote in favour of the transfer.

But critics fear the move signals the end of affordable housing for young families and the elderly.

Wirral TUC vowed to fight the decision and has served papers on the District Auditor claiming the council did not give tenants the full facts.

Alec McFadden, head of the Merseyside branch, said: "This policy of giving away houses is total madness.

"All the way through the council has told people it would be the best step.

"We are concerned about the security of people's tenancies and feel they would be better off under local authority control."

But Wirral Partnership Homes say they will protect tenants' rights, keep rents affordable and give people a bigger say in how services are run. Tenants will also have a third of the seats on the Board of Wirral Partnership Homes.

Brian Simpson, chief executive of Wirral Partnership Homes, said: "We are committed to delivering a better future for all tenants across the borough.

"It is not just about improving specific areas but about unlocking the money needed to give everyone on Wirral the standard of living they deserve."

Moreton councillor Chris Blakeley, who is on the board of Wirral Partnership Homes, said it was unlikely the council would ever have enough money to maintain the homes.

He said: "Everyone's house will be brought up to decent standards over the coming years.

The council could not put that amount of money in, and tenants' homes would, perhaps, even have deteriorated because the repairs would, at best, be standing still as there would be no cash for improvements."